On September 12th, Apple revealed three new iPhones: the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X (pronounced “ten”). This was the first time Apple announced three new iPhones simultaneously, although they will not all be released together—the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are available starting September 22 and can be preordered immediately, while the iPhone X can be preordered starting October 27, and will ship on November 3. The iPhone 8 starts at $699, the iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799, and the iPhone X starts at $999 for the base 64GB model.
Best New Features
Camera: The camera is better than the iPhone 7 camera on all three phones and even mechanically stabilize to compensate for any shaking of your hands for clearer images. The iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X feature dual rear cameras for even sharper photos, and the iPhone X features a more advanced front camera for superior selfies.
Wireless Charging: No more frayed USB cables!
Display: All three iPhones feature a more advanced display, using the True Tone technology that adjusts the color temperature of the screen based on the lighting of your surroundings so your screen is easier to see.
Face ID: The iPhone X uses facial recognition software to unlock your phone, which is even more secure than Touch ID.
Animojis: The iPhone X’s Face ID software allows you to give certain emojis different facial expressions and make them talk. Watch Tim Cook (Apple’s CEO) show you how they work here.
Drawbacks
Storage: The new iPhones are only available with 64GB and 256 GB storage. An average Penn student doesn’t need 256 GB, but would probably prefer to have more than 64 GB. The iPhone 6S was available in 32 GB and 128 GB models, and 128 GB is probably about the maximum the average college student, or even general iPhone user, needs. For a typical college student, the larger storage space would likely only make a difference in allowing you to go longer without downloading off of your phone, unless you frequently download new apps and don’t delete the ones that you don’t use, or like to download a lot of movies and TV shows. The 256 GB model is only $150 more for 4 times the storage, which makes it a smart buy, since the phone is already going to set you back at least $699.
No Home Button: While the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus keep the home button, the iPhone X’s sleek new design does away with it, switching to facial recognition from Touch ID, while keeping swipe unlock as an option. Think of the last time you texted under the table or used your phone while driving. Did you use swipe to unlock, or Touch ID? Holding your phone up to your face while driving could land you a ticket, and pulling it out from under table to unlock it is hardly discreet. While swipe unlock could be used in either of these instances, it’s much less convenient than Touch ID.
But the worst drawback of all? None of the new iPhones come in rose gold, and the iPhone X only comes in black and silver. We expected better from you, Apple.
